Improvement in automatic furniture-locks



iii/l NPTERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHR. WASHINGTON D C dimite tatt JAMIIs T. BROWN AND IsAA'e BIRD, or cINcINNATI, oHIo.

Letters Patent No.1108,874, dated November 1, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN AUTOMATIC `FURNITURE-LOCKS.

The Schedule referred to ii: these Letters IIatgm: and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concerti.'

Be it known that we, J AMES T. BROWN and IsAAc HIRD, both of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a` new and useful Automatic FurnitureeLock; and we doV hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot' thepsame, reference. being had to the annexed drawing making a part of-this specification, iu which-4 Figure l represents a piece of' furniture in perspective, with lock attached.l

Figure 2 is a cross-section of the working parts ot' the lock attached to the back.

Similar letters ot reference indicate like parts.

The nature of our invention relates to a device which, when acted on by one'drawer of a piece ot' furniture, thercmaining drawers may he locked or unr locked automatically, while it givesfthe opportunity o f locking one at a time, shouldthis be desired.

It consists mainly of anupright bar placed in the interior and againstl the back of a desk or piece of furniture, and vibrating horizont-ally on journals, 4and pro'- vidcd with suitable projections Yor armsengaging with hooks attached to the rear end of the drawers. One drawer only is locked rrthe usual manner, which, coniing in contact with an elastic vlever attached to the upright bar, causes it to'niove in a horizontaldirection and locks the remaining drawers. It is further provided with a spring which disconnects the har from the hooks on the drawers when the locking-drawer is not closed.

The advantages of our invention are in the saving of locks, in the convenience of operating the drawers, and in -its increased security.

In construction, our improvement. is as follows:

A A is the upright bar, vibrating freely in the boxes (ly (l.

drawers G G are closed.

B B are arms hung on the' bar A, and are formed iu the shape oi a link, so as to engage readily with hooks c c, which are permanently attached to the rear end of drawers O C.

At D is an elastic lever, also attached to upright A, in such a position that it comes in contact'with the locking-drawer C', when 'the same is closed.

F is a `springholdiug the bar A out of contact with -the'hooks c c vwhen left free.- The operation of this improvement becomes obvi-l ous.

When the locking-drawer C' is closed, its rear end comes' in contact with the vspring or elastic lever D, pressing it around so as to cause the links B to come into a locking position with the hooks c c when the Should it be desired to lock ony the upper drawer C', and leave the remaining` drawers unlocked, they may be closed, excepting the lasthalf inch, which will be sufficient to prevent their locking.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl The har'A, provided with links B B turning horizontally, and engaging with the drawers C C by means ot hooks c c, the Whole operated automatically by-one or more drawers, G', coming in contact with elastic lever D, and held unlocked by spring E, when all the parts are constructed and arranged substantially as herein described, and for the purpose specified.

JAMES T. BROWN. ISAAC HIRD.

Witnesses:

T. VAN KANNEL, 

